Destiny may be delayed, but eventually it always finds you
by evelitan
Summary: Just like many other writers I got inspired by the winter final of the show. Once Rumple is outside the town line, Belle is left to deal with the consequence. She needs to find her way and an old friend will help her with that, however this "quest" will either cost them their relationship or make it even stronger. Everything depends on what readers prefer. Work in progress.
1. Chapter 1

_I don`t own any of the OUAT characters. This is a purely fictional work. Also this is my first publication, so please if I have forgotten to mention something, feel free to tell me and I`d also appreciate any feedback I get. If the readers like the beginning I`ll continue writing more of the story. Thank you in advance._

Hurt. Confused. Betrayed. Exposed. Vulnerable. Lost. Angry. Speechless. Hopeless. Empty… Those were just some of the things Belle was feeling. When the heat of the moment past, when she saw Rumpelstiltskin, her Rumple, behind that town line, emotionally crushed and grumbled to the ground begging her not to give up in him, suddenly all those emotions she was pushing behind resurfaced. Moreover, they manifested twice as strong, making her mind turn into an inferno of raging thought, all kinds of thought. Memories of their happy moments, remembrance of when and how it all began, the small gestures, the innocent touches, the heated looks and even the history of the chipped cup. What a beautiful metaphor that was, chipped just like their relationship, but instead of having only one chipped piece it had fallen so many times thanks to his dishonesty and lust for power that it finally broke completely. It just couldn`t be mended anymore and it couldn`t hold on, taking all the blows he was making it endure. All the tolerance she showed him, all the love she gave him, all the acceptance and all the hopes and promises she once had, had disappeared in thin air the moment he decided to value his "precious" dagger more than Belle and from what truly mattered – more than their love.

But now, all was finished. It was the end and she was all alone, standing in the lines of the town border, trying to compose herself to go back to Storybrook. The last thing she wanted right now was to see David or Mary Margarete or any person in that matter, she just wanted to be alone and figure things out by herself. She had lost her way helping a man who didn`t even want to be helped, now Belle was torturing herself with all the things she was thinking about, the storm in her mind was so furious that made it impossible for her to even say her name, let alone talk. She wanted to be by herself and decided to go for a long walk in the woods; nature always helped her calm her nerves and see things in perspective. She was walking and walking, stopping a few times to rest, but rapidly resumed her walking again. Belle was in her own world and she didn`t notice when the day light had changed into dimmed and blurry surroundings, she felt dizzy and decided to seat again before heading home. The last continues thought that crossed her mind was "I shouldn`t close my eyes", but the emotional exhaustion from the day had taken its toll on her and she gave up the battle with the sleep. Several hours later, when moon was high in the sky and the million shining starts were gazing upon the Earth, a shadowy figure was coming towards the sleeping librarian. A few tweaks cracked and a couple of fallen leafs screamed of the rapidly approaching danger, but Belle didn`t hear a thing. Coming closer to the dreaming beauty, the tall silhouette removed her hood and a bright red strand of hair revealed itself to the moonlight.

- Belle, wake up sweety. - said softly the woman, touching gently her face as if the woman in front of her was made out of crystal. Seeing that Belle made no effort to move, the red hooded woman shook her again, this time just a little more intense.

- Belle, come on. You have to go home, it`s been two days since you haven`t been anywhere else but walking around the woods.

Hearing the soft voice and sensing the apple scent coming from the person next to her, Belle began reacting a little, first it was just a moan, but soon she was rubbing her eyes and inspecting lazily her surroundings.

- Ruby, how did you find me? – asked Belle now fully conscious of her state and whereabouts.

- I was worried when I didn`t see you walk back to Storybrook after the events of that day and I knew how much you like walking in the forest, so I decided to see how were you. Besides being half wolf came in very handy now.

- Honestly, I don`t know how I am. I cannot even begin to describe it, but I am glad you`re here.

- Well, I didn`t know if you wanted to be alone, but as I said I am worried about you Belle.

- I`m going to be ok. I just need some rest.

- You`re welcome to stay at Granny`s. I know you don`t want to go home so please feel free to stay with us for as long as you`d like. I can even make you some ice tea too if you eat something first. - said Ruby with a wink and a little smile setting itself on the corners of her red lips.

Hearing the light joke of her friend made Belle smile, or at least inwardly. She didn`t want to see anybody from the town, but Ruby didn`t fit into that common group, she was a completely different story. The rules and boundaries that applied for the others were practically nonexistent for her, she was the only person she truly trusted and felt secure around.

***End part I***


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello again dear readers! Let me just say thank you for all your time for reading my scribbles and leaving a review, I truly appreciate it. And also thank you to all those who are following my story. All of you inspire me to continue writing. That said, I hope you like the update and will eagerly await your comments. Enjoy! _

**B**elle felt warm sunrays gently caressing her tights, she was engulfed with the comfortable softness of the bed she was lying on, for a spilt second she didn`t think, not a single thought crossed her mind. The storm that raged in her mind only mere hours ago was silent for a moment that seemed like an eternity to her. Getting up and seating slowly on the bed, Belle rubbed her eyes sleepily and looked around her, she had never been in that room before, but she felt safe and protected somehow. She saw the walls painted with beautiful green trees on them and the ceiling was an exact copy of the light blue nuance of the December sky. A door opened and Ruby came in with a cup of hot tea in her hands, no sooner that the smell of fresh apples and earl grey washed over her, her memories from the previous night came running back to her mind.

_**Flashback**_

_Ruby had taken Belle to Granny`s and they had stayed a while in the cafeteria just enjoying a good cup of red tea. Belle`s eyes were still puffy from all the crying from before and it was obvious she needed a rest, a good sleep in soft bed and as it happened, someone to gently caress her hair when she started crying in her sleep. _

_- Belle you can stay in whichever room you prefer, just let me know when you want to retire for the night and I`ll bring you more towels and an extra blanket if you get too cold. – said Ruby when they finished their teas. _

_- Thank you Ruby. – offered Belle quietly and with a lot of effort to make her lips say what her mind screamed. _

_- It`s nothing, I`m just glad you are here and not in woods somewhere. I should go get some rest though, tomorrow I have to cover a double shift, the keys to the rooms are under the counter, good night Belle. - It crushed her heart seeing her best friend like that. The girl that always had a smile on her face and warm sparkles in her deep blue eyes, was now nothing more than a mere remembrance of the past. _

_Ruby had just stood up from the table and was preparing to go upstairs to her room when she heard Belle murmur almost inaudibly._

_- Ruby… do you think… maybe I could spend the night with you? I um… really don`t want to be alone right now. It`s just for tonight I promise…- but before she could continue Rudy had already gave her the answer. _

_- Of course Belle, let`s go you need to rest too. _

That was the last thing she remembered from last night, she was too exhausted mentally and physically to offer whatsoever kind of resistance to Ruby`s statement, she did need her rest after all. She felt broken and her body ached from the uncomfortable position she had been for too long, not to mention that the comfort of the warm blankets shared with the person whom she trusted with her life was an offer that only a fool wouldn`t take advantage of. And if anything, Belle was no fool. Returning to the present moment, Ruby walked gracefully through the door and sat on the bed near Belle, offering her the tea she had made for her.

- Thank you Ruby. You`ve been great with me.

- As I already said, it` nothing. Now do you want to talk about it or should I just pretend that you`re fine?

- I want to tell you, I really do, but not right now. – said Belle and sipped from her tea. It was perfect, with a drop of milk and honey, just the way she loved it and Ruby knew it. Ruby knew her, every little detail or imperfection of hers. But deep inside Belle there was a question she was dying to ask the woman in front of her and now was as good a time as any.

- I do want to ask you something though and you have to answer me truthfully.

- Of course.

- Where were you lately? I could barely see you around the town, you didn`t come to the library anymore. I miss spending time with you. Were you angry with me because I decided to marry Rumple?

- Belle… it`s no secret that I never liked him. I only tolerated him because of you, because you seemed happy with him. But no, I wasn`t angry with you… I just got really fed up with Storybrook and not being able to go anywhere and be alone, I wanted some place where my thoughts and I were alone and nobody would bother me.

- And did you find it?

- No. – said Ruby looking down and knew that she needed to change the topic of the conversation before Belle got even more depresses. The last thing she wanted was to make her friend feel bad about that too.

- Anyway, what do you want to do today?

- I don`t know maybe read a new book.

- Nope, you are not staying in here. It`s a marvelous day outside, a bit chilly, but sunny and without any wind. We are going out.

- We? Aren`t you working?

- I talked to Granny and she said I could have a few days off. Last month I painted the fence so now I have point for good behavior. – said Ruby with a wink and a smirk on her face.

Bringing a little humor in their conversation had managed to brighten the mood and Belle had put her thoughts on hold for a while, she decided to enjoy the day with her friend and savor the sunny day until it was over. When Belle finished getting dressed, Ruby took her hand and dragged her happily towards the door of the Inn and soon they found themselves walking around the beach.

- I cannot believe how chilly it gets here in winter.

- Well this is the beauty of this new world, everything is amplified for us, I admit it takes some time to get used to, but once you do you`ll learn to enjoy it.

- I`ll tell you when I get there. - said Belle with a smile. They were walking around for hours talking about stuff and catching up on things, just like any other old friends who hadn`t seen each other for a long time would do.

-Could you help me decorate the place for Christmas when we get back? This year Granny wants to try and have a normal holiday for a change, one where everybody would be happy at least for the day. She is organizing a party, she even invited Regina.

- Sounds like a very good idea Ruby, I must confess I am actually impressed by her. She really did change after all or at least she is trying very hard. – the melancholic look returned to her face the moment she said those words.

- Listen Belle. Everybody can change, but some just don`t want to. We all have a beast brooding inside of us, in some cases like mine this metaphor is quite literal, but my point is, even though we have our demons if we have something or someone that we truly love nothing can stop our change towards something better. Rumple may have been a man once, he may have even been compassionate, honest and caring, but he has always loved his power more than anything else too. You tried so many times to change him, but you should never change yourself for him. And if he was too afraid to love you completely then he doesn`t deserve your unconditional love and support.

Belle had heard many things about Rumple, things that people were talking about, hushed words behind her back. She never cared though, until now. For the first time something in her felt lighter, when Ruby told her that it wasn`t her obligation to help him that made her see things more clear. She needed to hear that and Ruby needed to say it to her. Neither of them wanted to talk anymore so they just walk back to the inn in silence, not a word was said, but their hands were holding tight one another and the two of them were walking with a lost look in their eyes, each one thinking things of her own.

***End part II***


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello again dear readers! I was wondering a lot how to shape this story, but I finally decided it would be a RedBeauty fanfic, however if you want another story that is Rumbelle just write me and let me know. Now, I should tell you that this fragment has a lot of unresolved sexual tension especially near the end and if you don`t like the idea of two women in love or feel offended please don`t continue reading it. Thank you all for the comments and I hope you like the update!_

The time had a funny way of passing, sometimes it seemed as if a minute lasted an eternity and sometimes hours flew by like mere seconds. Belle felt at ease with Ruby by her side and the days passed, those days turned into weeks and before she knew it, two and a half weeks had already past from that cursed day when her life got so messed up in the first place. With each passing morning, Belle felt stronger and braver than the previous one, however she was still scared to have fun and to fully enjoy the moments shared with her best friend. Ruby, on the other hand, seemed more determined with each passing day to make Belle smile more and regain her previous joyous self, every morning she would wake up early and go running to find the most beautiful red rose in Storybrook. Every morning Belle had the pleasure of taking her tea with a good company and a lovely red rose set on the tray, next to the teacup and it never failed to bring up a smile on the beauty`s face. Belle had helped Ruby with the decorations around the diner and Granny gave them a couple of free days after Christmas in order to let them celebrate the New Year as they saw fit. Finally, the last day of the year came and Belle woke up with the familiar scent of Earl Grey and a fresh rose placed gently by her head.

- Good morning sleepy head. Come on it`s the 31st, you can`t stay in bed all day. – said Ruby cheerfully while walking around the room she shared with Belle, pulling the curtains and opening wide the windows.

- Good… oh god don`t open _that_ much! I feel like a penguin!

-Come on… up!

-I refuse to get up until you don`t shut at least one window. – said Belle firmly and pulled the covers over her head, a reaction that made Ruby grin.

-You asked for it!

And just before Belle could even think about her friend`s intentions she felt incredibly ticklish, Ruby knew her soft spot and the giggles coming from the covered woman betrayed the victory of the other. After a good while of wrestling and fooling around Ruby had the blue eyed beauty pinned down on the bed, holding steady her hands and sitting firmly on her hips, and since Ruby was part wolf it was no surprise to have the other woman pinned down under her. Between laughter and giggling a few innocent touches and lots of smiles, blue eyes locked with brown ones and the two of them had a conversation of their own. Both had this electric sparkle in their eyes and each one of them had her cheeks blushed with the most subtle color of red, maybe from all the messing around, or maybe from something else.

-So, what do you feel like doing tonight? A movie and a glass of wine? – asked Ruby. She thought that the last thing Belle wanted was to be on a party with everyone staring them, she didn`t like being around the crowd lately and it made her feel nervous and uncomfortable.

Somehow she still felt partially responsible for Rumple`s deeds, for all the things he had done to so many people, to so many of their friends. She always thought that she should have seen it earlier, or at least she should not have kept her eyes shut on purpose while hoping for the best so much time.

-I thought that at first, but what do you say if we go to the club. Everybody will be there; even Snow and her prince Charming, I think Emma will also drag Regina with her again. It will be fun seeing them celebrating together, do you think they`ll start bickering again?

-Are you kidding me? These two fight even in their sleep! – said Ruby with a smile on her face making Belle beginning to giggle again. She didn`t expect her friend to surprise her like that, but she was glad Belle had put the idea of being with their friends on the table again.

-Okay then, we have a plan.

On the last day of the year Ruby and Belle decided to go for a walk in the woods, it was the only place they both felt protected and at peace, away from all the smut of the town and the continuous talk of people. The day slipped by them quickly and soon it was already time for them to get ready for the party, Belle found herself a beautiful short royal blue, sleeveless top that matched perfectly her eyes and combined it with a pair of black tight jeans. It was a look that was expected of Lacey, but not Belle, however Ruby preferred to keep her comments to herself this time and she had to admit- Belle looked stunning. In addition, Ruby decided to play it safe and chose one of her bright ruby red tops she had in her closet, outlining perfectly her body and the warm brown eyes that seemed to shine like a liquid gold. Pairing the outfits with black heels and small purses, the pair was ready for the party and thanks to the slightly higher heels Belle had chosen, the height difference between the two of them was not that visible, but still elegantly present.

When they finally arrived at the party, Emma was the first to greet them:

- Ruby! I`m so happy to see you here guys; it has been a while since we had seen you, both of you.

-Yeah we were…busy helping out Granny with some stuff.

A moment later, everyone else jointed them and they all chatted for a while. Emma and Regina were trying to outsmart each other as always and the Charmings were exchanging longing looks wishing they were at home instead, but Emma had dragged them to the club using some lame excuse about their "abandoned" social life. With all the loud music around them and the shimmering lights, Belle and Ruby were jumping around the dance floor and dancing close to one another. One drink after another, Belle`s head was spinning around and she decided to get some fresh air, Ruby on the other hand was far away from being drunk, not even remotely. Accompanying Belle outside, Ruby decided it was a good idea to lace their fingers together and walk so they don`t get separated since there were so many people around them it would have been almost impossible to find each other again. Ruby couldn`t use the scent of her friend to find her because of all the alcohol around them, spilled on the floor, on their dresses or shoes and all the hormones in the air around them made it impossible to follow a scent at that very moment. Outside where the air was chilly and fresh, Belle had chosen to sit on the bench that was a few steps away from the club, just enough so that she could clear her head a little, but still detect the rhythm of the music inside.

-Hey beautiful, are you feeling better? - asked Ruby when she approached her friend.

-Yeah, I just needed some fresh air. Just give me a few seconds and we`ll go back in.

-Sure, no problem we still have twenty minutes before the countdown.

Sitting outside and talking, neither of them noticed how fast the time went by and just when they were laughing once again, they heard some noise coming from the club _"ten, nine, eight…"_ that made them look one another into their eyes and after a second of thinking it through, they jumped and enter in a hurry. _"Three, two, one, Happy New Year!" _everyone around them shouted, they had made it just in time to count the final moments of the night and seeing how they both were panting for air with blushed cheeks, Emma only laughed and whispered something in Regina`s ear, something very funny from the reaction of her. After the hugs and the kisses that were exchanged between the group, everyone started dancing again. Ruby and Belle had almost missed the New Year`s countdown and yet neither of them seemed to mind it when they were talking outside, that moment of silence that passed between them betrayed that neither minded the company of the other at that moment and what`s more important they even preferred it instead of going in. However, they had decided to enter and be with all their friends, since the objective of the night was to get Belle to be more comfortable around all of them again. The music changed once again and the steady rhythm of Azealia Banks - 212 spread around the club making everybody jump and dance even more energetic than before. Ruby had a last drink from her glass and dragged Belle to the dance floor, she knew how much the other girl liked that song and she wanted to see her smile again, Belle had the most radiant smile. She didn`t need alcohol to get drunk, just those sincere smiles Belle had were more than enough to make her head spin and her body feel on fire. While dancing Belle slowly moved closer and closer to her friend, they were dancing so sexy together that a few of the dwarfs around them stopped and began staring right at them, they couldn`t believe what they were seeing. The two of them moved so freely and yet so synchronized with one another, they moved as if their personal space didn`t exist. Putting her hands on Belle`s hips, Ruby began to guide her with the established rhythm and for them nothing else existed, they just enjoyed the moment of intimacy they shared. Even if their bodies felt on fire, they didn`t want to let each other go further than one step needed to dance and not just stand in one place. Emma and Regina were somewhere lost in the crowd and didn`t pay much attention to what was happening on the dance floor and Snow was busy trying to talk on her phone with the baby sitter to check on Neil. The only person that seemed to be too smitten to speak even was David, who only observed from a far not believing his eyes. While moving against one another, Ruby slowly stroke Belle`s hair and tucked at it gently, Belle didn`t seem to mind either, she just pulled her friend closer and before anyone had any idea of whatsoever was happening right there between them, their lips connect, slowly at first. With the intensity of the rhythm grew the intensity of the kiss too, Ruby had her hands on Belle`s neck and hair and she in turn had her hands roaming over Ruby`s perfectly shaped body. However, the kissing didn`t stop them from moving their bodies, so it was safe to say that more than one dwarf and man were staring and whistling at them, not that it bothered them too much since neither of them even flinched at the sudden attention.

****End of part III****


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